Jay Z Albums Disappear From Spotify, Apple Music

His discography is still available on Google Play Music, SoundCloud Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited and for sale on iTunes

(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Live Nation)

As the streaming music war intensifies, hip hop star and Tidal co-owner Jay Z is quietly removing his music from major streaming music outlets Apple Music and Spotify, while leaving the same tracks in place on his own service.

Jay Z’s albums have (once again) disappeared from Spotify and Apple Music, as the Verge points out. The only releases from the rapper’s career still on Spotify are features and some select singles. Watch the Throne is notably counted among the albums that have been pulled from streaming services. Of course, Jay’s full discography can still be found on Tidal, and can still be streamed on Amazon Music Unlimited and purchased on iTunes as off press time. Apple Music still has Kingdom Come and The Black Album. In March of last year, Jay Z took his Blueprint album series and Reasonable Doubt off of Spotify and Apple Music. The albums came back to the streaming platforms later that year in October.

Over on Apple Music in the UK, Carter’s catalog is a little sparse. Reasonable Doubt, Hard Knock Life, In My Lifetime, Collision Course (his 2004 collaboration with Linkin Park), Watch the Throne with Kanye West and the American Gangster soundtrack remain, but The Black Album and The Blueprint are missing in action. Domestically, though, all we’re seeing are singles and collaborations like “Big Pimpin'” featuring Pimp C and Bun B. When we reached out to Apple for more information, a spokesperson told us to check with Universal — signaling that this could be the start of a bigger trend.

Representatives for Apple Music reached by a media agency declined to comment, while a rep for Spotify stated that “some of Jay Z’s catalog has been removed at the request of the artist.” Pitchfork has contacted representatives for Jay Z for comment.